Window-curtain roller



(No Model.)

Gi-W EDDY.

WINDOW CURTAIN ROLLER. N0.21O,6589 Patented Jan. 13%,885.

ZQM Ii 0% v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. EDDY, OF NE? LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

WINDOW-CURTAIN ROLLER.

SPBCIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 310,658, dated January 13, 1885.

Application filed Fcln'l'lary I4, 1834.

f0 all 111710111, 116 In/a4 concern- .Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Enny, of New London, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVindow-OurtainRollei-s, of which the following description and claims constitute the specification, and which is illustrated by the accompanying sheet of drawings.

This invention pertains to that class of ourtain-rollers which contain a spring so adjusted as to tend to roll the curtain up, but not having strength enough to roll. it up farther than the lower edge of the curtain, which is gently lifted by the hand, while having strength enough to hold the curtain at any hcight at which the hand may place the lower edge thereof.

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawings is a front elevation of the roller, showing part of it in vertical longitudinal diametrie section. Fig. 2 includes a view of the inner side of each of the two brackets upon which the roller revolves. Fig. 3 is a view of the righthand end of the roller as it appears when re moved from its bracket. Fig. 4c is a side view of the flanged arbor E, which constitutes the extreme right-hand end of the roller. Fig. 5

is a view of the arbor E, placed within the smaller end of the coiled spring. Fig. 6 is a side view of: the roller proper, showing aform i in which its bearings may be constructed. Fig. 7 is a view of the spring D reversed in position, and with modified attachments, hereinafter explained.

Ais a bracket having a semicircular beari ng, A, for the reception of the left-hand end of the roller.

B is a bracket having a semicircular bearing, i, for the reception of the right-hand end of the roller. This bracket differs from the bracket A in that it has a semicircular shoulder, B in its semicircular bearing B, and also has a vertical slot, B, cut downward from the periphery of the disk, which constitutes its side.

C is the roller proper, made, preferably, of wood, and cylindrical. in form throughout its length and hollow at its right-hand end.

D is a coiled spring, of a form heretofore used in window-curtain rollers. Its outer end is fastened to the roller 0 by being passed (Yo model.)

through a hole in its wall, as at vD. The inner end of the spring is fastened to the arbor E by simply inserting the arbor within the inner coil, the contractile tendency of the spring operating to prevent its slipping upon the arbor.

F is the roller proper, modified by having smaller journal-bearings at its ends, instead of being cylindrical throughout, as in Fig. 1.

C, Fig. 7, is a flanged arbor, the right-hand end of which is fixed within the smaller coil of the spring D, in the same way that the left hand end of the arbor E is fixed in that coil. The left-hand end of the flanged arbor G- is spearshaped, and is adapted to be driven into the wood which constitutes the termination of the cylindrical recess in which the spring is placed.

I-l, Fig. 7, is a cylindrical flanged arbor, the flange and that part to the right of the flange being identical with the corresponding parts of the arbor E, but the left-hand part having a large axial cylindrical recess for the ad mission of the right-hand end of the outer coil of the spring D, which spring is fastened within that recess in the same manner as it is last encd at D, within the roller C. The left-hand end of the arbor H also revolves freely within the righthand end of the roller C.

Herctofore cnrtaiirrollers containing a torsional coiled spring in the end of the roller have had the inner end of the spring soldered or otherwise firmly secured to the arbor or shaft that is placed within and loosely fills said inner end. I taper the end of my arbor E or (1- so as to expand the coils of the spring a little as said arboris forced into the spring.-

The contractile force of the spring is sufficient to keep the arbor in place under ordinary cir cumstances, and to create sufficient friction to give the end of the spring a tendency to move with the arbor to either wind or unwind the coils of the spring, according to which way the arbor is turned. If I wish to detach the arbor from the spring, it is only necessary to turn the arbor backward-that is, so as to move its periphery toward the end of the spring-for instance, when in the position shown in Fig. 5, throw the top of the shaft to the rear while the spring is held against rotation, or the top of the spring forward while the arbor is held, and thefriction will tend to move the spring with the arborv and unwind its coils to such an extent that the arbor can be slipped endwise out of the coils by a quick pull. In use, however, the strain of the arbor which is exerted upon thespring comes in the opposite direction from that hereinbefore described, and instead of unwinding the coils of the spring and loosening its hold upon the arbor the tendency is to wind up the spring tighter, and thereby bind its coils so firmly upon the arbor that it cannot possibly slip therein. In fact, the greater the torsional strain upon the spring the tighter will its inner end be bound upon the arbor. While there is friction enough by the simple contractile force of the spring to keep the arbor and spring together under ordinary circumstances, that contractile force would be insufficient under the severe torsional strain of the spring in use were it not for the fact that the coils are wound tighter and tighter upon the arbor as said strain is brought to bear thereon.

It will be seen thatll not only secure my spring and arbor together in a very simple and economical manner, but they are also readily detachable; also, that the spring has no angular bends in its end, and is not subjected to acids or other injurious substances, as is the ease with soldered springs.

The mode of adjustment is as follows: The brackets A and B are screwed to a windowcasing in the common position for such brackets, and at a distance apart to conform to the width of the curtain. The roller 0, if'too long for the place, is shortened by simply Sawingoff its lcft-hand end. The spring D is inserted in the hollow end of the roller 0, and the outer end of the spring is fastened to the roller, as at D. The arbor E is inserted in the smaller coil of the spring. The curtain is tacked or otherwise attached to the roller, and then the roller is placed in the semicircular bearings in the brackets, the square shank of the arbor E being allowed to rest in the slot B. Therefore, it the tension of the spring D is too slight to sustain the weight of the curtain when partly rolled up, that tension may be increased by lifting the arbor E out'o'f the slot B", and then giving the thumb-piece of thatarbor as many turns against the tension of the spring as are needed to increase that tension to the necessary degree, and then replacing the square shank of the arbor in the slot.

If the tension of the spring D is at any time too great to allow the curtain to balance it, the arbor E may be lifted out of the slot 13, and the thumb-piece allowed to turn back ward with the tension of the spring till that tension is reduced to the proper strength, and then the square shank of the arbor may be placed in the slot.

The mode 'of operation is as follows: The roller revolves on the semicircular bearing A and B, and is kept from much endwise motion by the disk-like side of the bracket A and by the semicircular shoulder 18 respectively. The weight .of the curtain tends to make the roller revolve in one direction, and the spring D tends with equal force to make it revolve in the other direction. It therefore remains stationary, except when the hand of the user, by gently raising or lowering the lower edge of the curtain, turns the balance in favor of the spring or the weight of the curtain, respectively. The necessary balance between the tension of the spring and the weight of the curtain is readily restored when lost by simply lifting the arbor E out of the slot B and replacing it therein, after as many turns or parts of turns of t-he'thumb-piece of'the arbor as are necessary toincrease or lessen the tension of the spring. \Vhere the roller is' made inthe form of F in Fig. 6, the semicircular shoulder B is not needed, nor need the bracket A in that case have its disk-like side to prevent endwise motion of the roller. The roller 0 is better than the form F for the purpose, because if too long for a given window it may be shortened by simply saw-ing it off, whereas the roller F would also require the making of a new journal after being sawed off for that purpose.

The arbors G and H are shown on the drawings merely to indicate one of many-possible modifications of the devices by which the roller,'the spring, and the bracket B may be made to co-operate together in the mode described, for the purpose set forth.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the inner end of a coiled torsional spring, and the arbor or plug forced therein sufficiently tight to cause the coils to wind upon the arbor and bind thereon under torsional strain, and vice versa', substantially as described.

2. The combination of the bracket B, the flanged arbor E, firmly attached to the-spring D, and the roller 0, so constructed as that the spring may be tightened or loosened by lifting the arbor out of the slot of the-braeket and giving it so many or parts of turns in either direction, as the case may require, and by thereupon replacing the arbor in the slot, all substantially as described.

3. The combination of a curtain-roller, a spring inclosed within one end thereof; and a journal for that end of the roller, whichis independent of the arbor within the spring, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE XV: EDDY. \Vitnesses:

EDWARD T. BRowN,

GEORGE Comux. 

